Among a wide variety of hair styling techniques used today, hair weaves are often chosen as a popular hair supplement for a particular styling regime. These weaves are typically either sown in by a stylist, “glued” in with resins, or, more often, attached to the existing hair and surrounding scalp with a latex rubber bonding agent. Subsequent removal of these weaves from hair is challenging as it causes painful hair pulling, hair damage, and even subsequent hair loss.
Commercially available hair bonding agent removers are generally limited to shampoos containing harsh detergent-type surfactants and/or irritating chemicals such as mineral spirits and kerosene. These shampoo products are marginally effective at softening the bonding material because the acceptable amount of the active chemical, i.e., the mineral spirits and/or kerosene, must be kept low in order to prevent excessive scalp irritation. Further, the surfactant/degreaser combination often dries out the hair, and even irritates the scalp. Oily materials such as mineral oil and various natural oils have also been used to remove bonding agents. However, these products must be left on the hair for long periods of time in order to obtain any noticeable effect on the bonding material. As such, neither of these current approaches yields satisfactory results as painful hair pulling, hair damage, hair loss, and scalp dryness and irritation are often associated with the use of these formulations.
In addition to hair weave bonding agents, a variety of hair styling aids containing resinous fixatives, such as gels, sprays, spritzes, and mousses, are also frequently used to maintain styled hair in a particular curl or configuration. The removal of resinous build up from the hair has also presented a challenge to the industry. In particular, the removal of the resinous styling product buildup from the hair is currently accomplished in one of two ways. One option is to utilize multiple applications of a “stripping” shampoo during which vigorous manipulation of the hair is used to forcibly break the adhesion between hair fibers and loosen the styling residue on individual hairs. Alternatively, a comb or brush is used to break the adhesions between hair fibers followed by multiple applications of a stripping shampoo and vigorous manipulation of the hair to loosen styling residues from individual hairs.
These so-called stripping shampoo products of the current art contain high loadings of harsh surfactants designed to act as detergents on the hair. Stripping shampoos are also formulated to have an alkaline pH (pH 8.0 to pH 10) to enhance their “detergency”. The combination of alkaline pH and high surfactant loading can: 1) cause hair to swell which in turn causes lifting of the protective cuticle layer; 2) remove hairs natural protective/lubricating oils and moisturizing agents from the hair and the scalp; and 3) enhance the tangling effect created by the vigorous manipulation of the hair. The end results of the use of the stripping shampoos of the current art are that the hair is left in a swollen state with lifted cuticle edges, little or no remaining natural lubrication or moisturization, and severely tangled from the vigorous manipulation. Accordingly, both methods of removing resinous styling residues from the hair can create severe hair damage and can result in undesirable side-effects for the consumer.
Further, these stripping shampoos are not always effective at completely removing heavy styling aide build-up on the hair. The failure to completely and adequately remove the styling residue can 1) create increased drag during any subsequent combing caused by lifted prills of resin; 2) make the hair look as though there is residual dirt or debris on it; and 3) contribute to the consumer perception of “dandruff” because the loosened material subsequently falls from the hair onto the scalp and shoulders over time. The perception of dandruff then causes the consumer to use further harsh shampoo treatments in an attempt to eliminate the dandruff problem.
Even more damaging to the hair and scalp is the process whereby the consumer or salon professional attempts to “comb-out” the styling residues before shampooing. This method is recognized as a leading cause of hair breakage and scalp irritation/damage by both consumers and salon professionals alike but is often perceived as the only effective way to remove excessive styling residues from the hair.
Unfortunately, the current art limits the options available to persons seeking to apply subsequent treatments to hair that has been previously treated with a resinous fixative styling aid. For instance, persons who wish to use chemical treatments such as hair straighteners or curly perms are at a disadvantage when using the products available in the current art. Shampooing the hair and scalp to remove styling residues prior to applying hair straighteners or curly perms can cause these products to irritate or burn the scalp. This is especially true when the stripping shampoos of the current art are used. The manufacturers of hair straightening and curling products usually include a warning statement requiring the consumer to wait at least 24 to 48 hours after shampooing before subsequently applying the straightening or curling products. The consumer must either: (1) shampoo and wait, (2) shampoo and risk irritation by immediately using the straightener, or (3) not shampoo and attempt to brush the styling residues from the hair. Each of these options involves unnecessary risk to the health of the consumer's hair and scalp.
The current art also does not provide for a suitable means by which a consumer can efficiently re-arrange his or her hair from one style to another without having to remove a prior application of a styling aid. In particular, the current art does not offer an option of loosening a previous curl pattern, re-arranging the hair to another style, and locking the hair into place with additional fixative.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for compositions that can, in one aspect, be used to remove hair bonding agents from hair and scalp without resulting in painful hair pulling, significant hair damage, significant hair loss, and scalp dryness and irritation. Additionally, there also is a need in the art for compositions that can solubilize resinous hair styling aids such that, in one aspect, the hair styling aid can be removed or, in another aspect, the styled hair can be restyled to a different curl configuration without requiring the removal of a prior application of a styling aid.